Kimmince smashes record but not aiming for the Stars
RECORD-BREAKING Gold Coast Dolphins bat Delissa Kimmince says she has lost the drive to play for Australia again despite a huge personal milestone over the weekend.
Kimmince smashed the highest score by a Dolphins female player – perhaps by any player in the history of Brisbane Premier Grade Katherine Raymont Shield – with a knock of 169 not out against University of Queensland on Saturday.
The Dolphins made a staggering 3-331 from 50 overs in the clash at WEP Harris Oval at St Lucia in Brisbane and advanced to the grand final against Sandgate-Redcliffe at Allan Border Field on Sunday.
Kimmince, 27, followed up with the ball taking 3-26 from five overs as the Dolphins dismissed Uni for 212. Kimmince hit 21 fours and three sixes and shared a 153-run partnership with Abigail Godfrey (49).
Her effort led to Dolphins coach Garry Lovett describing her as the leading all-rounder in Australian women’s cricket, although the Warwick-born Kimmince said she no longer yearns to play for the Southern Stars again.
“If she’s not one of the best all-rounders in the country I’d like to know who is better,” Lovett declared.
Yet Kimmince is content playing for the Queensland Fire, the Brisbane Heat and for the Brisbane Lions in the AFLW competition.
“I was selected for the Ashes Tour a few years ago but had back issues and I stood down from the squad,” she said.
“From that I lost my contract because I hadn’t played any games.
“But I’m not too concerned because I don’t think my drive is to get there any more.”
Lovett said the most pleasing thing about Saturday’s effort was that other bats contributed to the record score.
“The good thing was that, apart from Delissa’s innings, the others put on another 160 runs between them,” Lovett said.
GOLD Coast and Bulls star Michael Neser’s ankle injury is not as bad as he first thought and the all-rounder could be back in action early next month.
Neser rolled his left ankle bowling for the Dolphins in a Brisbane Premier Grade match against SandgateRedcliffe last weekend and initially feared his season could be over.
But scans yesterday revealed that damage is restricted to outside ligaments and that he could be playing again in two to three weeks.
“If there is any ligament damage to get then this is the good one,” the 26-year-old said.
“We have to wait until the swelling goes down until we know more but it looks a lot better than I first thought.
“I’ll have a couple of weeks out at best and now my aim is to get back for the last Sheffield Shield game (Victoria, March 16) or even maybe the one before that.”
The Bulls are playing Tasmania in Hobart from March 7 to 10 before they play Victoria in Brisbane.
Neser’s injury has forced him out of the Queensland side to play South Australia at the Adelaide Oval, starting from Friday.
His Dolphins teammate Matt Kuhnemann was rated a chance of making his Shield debut but selectors yesterday decided to go with four fast bowlers, bringing in Luke Feldman in tandem with Mark Steketee, Cameron Gannon and Peter George.